"An expert in the law tested Jesus with this questions, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets hand on these two commands." Matthew 22:35-40 God created human beings with two primary purposes for life: To live in loving relationship with God our creator. To live in loving relationships with other human beings. Relationships are the heart of God’s creation and the heart of existence for human beings; vertical relationship with God and horizontal relationship with other people – the shape of the cross. Not coincidentally, that is the shape of the human body – a reflection of God’s divine purpose and plan. Augustine and Luther described sin as the act of turning away from God and other people and turning in on yourself. Being self-centered is at the core of our broken condition. God’s perfect design of the cross is broken by sin but restored when God’s Son and Savior of the world Jesus died on the cross to atone for our sins and connect us back to our creator. Through faith in Jesus the Holy Spirit forgives our sins and reconciles us back to God and gives us the work of reconciliation to the world. That is the message of the cross – the story and defining reality of the Christian faith.

Our theology is centered in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world. This is summarized in three phrases: + Grace alone – God’s love is given to us even though we haven’t earned it or deserve it. It is a free gift – open to all. + Faith alone – The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of faith, the ability to put our complete trust and confidence in Jesus. + Scripture alone – God makes himself and his plan of salvation known through the words of the Bible. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

For centuries, the most universal confession of faith in the Christian church has been the Apostles’ Creed, which identifies the one true God as triune – one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

“What about you?” Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 16:15-17 The bottom line of Christianity,is Jesus Christ. Who do you say he is? In his great work Mere Christianity, CS Lewis said, “If Christianity is false it is of no importance. If it is true it is of ultimate importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” He also said that Jesus is either who he said he is, the Son of God, or he is a crazy, evil madman for claiming to be the Son of God and intentionally trying to deceive all people. But it is impossible to conclude that Jesus is nothing more than a great teacher. Our hope is that you will open the Bible, and read the story of Jesus recorded in one of the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John – and that you will let Jesus speak for himself. Don’t base your beliefs on your observations of Christianity,what other people tell you, or what you think. Go right to the source – and see what Jesus did and said.

Redeemer Redwood City is affiliated with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). It is a network of 6,000 churches, 2,000 elementary high schools and precschools, 10 univiersities, and 2 seminaries.